Difference between revisions of "Chronology of the Flood/2/en"
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| − | <point><b>"וַיִּגְבְּרוּ הַמַּיִם" and "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם"</b> – The | + | <point><b>"וַיִּגְבְּרוּ הַמַּיִם" and "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם"</b> – The commentators disagree in how they understand the increasing and receding of the waters:<br/> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li><b>Water first decreased after 150 days</b> - The author of the Qumran Scroll, Yefet the Karaite, Ramban, and Seforno all understand the phrase "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם" to mean that the water did not begin to decrease until the end of the 150 days. Seforno suggests that even though the rain stopped after 40 days, the underground sources of water were still open,<fn>Chapter 7:17 speaks of the flood lasting for 40 days, but it is only in 8:2 that the text mentions the closing of the heavenly windows and subterranean sources of water.  This leads Seforno (and Ramban) to sugest that there were two stages.  However, the continuation of 8:2 reads, "וַיִּכָּלֵא הַגֶּשֶׁם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם" which leads others to suggest that the two events happened simultaneously. </fn> causing continued water pressure during this entire period.<fn>His words are slightly ambiguous, and can be interpreted to mean either that the subterranean waters caused an increase in the water throughout this period or that they simply caused a continuous pressure, preventing the water from standing still or decreasing.</fn> Ramban, in contrast, seems to maintain that though the waters did not continue to increase after the fortieth day, due to the great humidity<fn>This was caused by the fact that the heavenly windows and subterranean water sources were still open.</fn> they retained their height throughout this period.</li> | <li><b>Water first decreased after 150 days</b> - The author of the Qumran Scroll, Yefet the Karaite, Ramban, and Seforno all understand the phrase "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם" to mean that the water did not begin to decrease until the end of the 150 days. Seforno suggests that even though the rain stopped after 40 days, the underground sources of water were still open,<fn>Chapter 7:17 speaks of the flood lasting for 40 days, but it is only in 8:2 that the text mentions the closing of the heavenly windows and subterranean sources of water.  This leads Seforno (and Ramban) to sugest that there were two stages.  However, the continuation of 8:2 reads, "וַיִּכָּלֵא הַגֶּשֶׁם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם" which leads others to suggest that the two events happened simultaneously. </fn> causing continued water pressure during this entire period.<fn>His words are slightly ambiguous, and can be interpreted to mean either that the subterranean waters caused an increase in the water throughout this period or that they simply caused a continuous pressure, preventing the water from standing still or decreasing.</fn> Ramban, in contrast, seems to maintain that though the waters did not continue to increase after the fortieth day, due to the great humidity<fn>This was caused by the fact that the heavenly windows and subterranean water sources were still open.</fn> they retained their height throughout this period.</li> | ||
| − | <li><b>Water decreased after the forty days of rain</b> – Most of the other commentators in this approach<fn>See R"Y Bekhor Shor, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel,, Shadal, r. D"Z Hoffmann, and U,. Cassuto.</fn> assume that the water started to recede right after the rain stopped. The phrase " וַיִּגְבְּרוּ הַמַּיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם" simply means that the waters were is a state of strength (relative to normal water heights), not that they were increasing.  Similarly, R"Y Bekhor Shor, R. Hoffmann and U. Cassuto explain the verse "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם"   to mean that the decrease was only noticeable to Noach | + | <li><b>Water decreased after the forty days of rain</b> – Most of the other commentators in this approach<fn>See R"Y Bekhor Shor, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel,, Shadal, r. D"Z Hoffmann, and U,. Cassuto.</fn> assume that the water started to recede right after the rain stopped. The phrase " וַיִּגְבְּרוּ הַמַּיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם" simply means that the waters were is a state of strength (relative to normal water heights), not that they were increasing or even standing still.  Similarly, R"Y Bekhor Shor, R. Hoffmann and U. Cassuto explain the verse "וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם"   to mean not that the water first began to rcede at this point but that the decrease was only noticeable to Noach when the ark landed.<fn>Until then, when the ark was still moving and Noach could only see water and sky he had no way of knowing if the water level was increasing, staying the same or decreasing.</fn></li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>How did the ark land so soon?</b> These commentators differ in how they understand how the ark managed to land right after the 150 days of strong waters, if the mountain tops had been covered  by fifteen cubits of water throughout that period:<br/> | <point><b>How did the ark land so soon?</b> These commentators differ in how they understand how the ark managed to land right after the 150 days of strong waters, if the mountain tops had been covered  by fifteen cubits of water throughout that period:<br/> | ||
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| − | <li><b>Receded over 2 days</b> – According to the Qumran Scroll, which asserts that the water maintained its strength throughout but that the 150 days ended on | + | <li><b>Receded over 2 days</b> – According to the Qumran Scroll, which asserts that the water maintained its strength throughout but that the 150 days ended on the fourteenth of the seventh month, there was a period of two days in which the water lessened, allowing the ark to land.<fn>This must assume that there was a very large reduction in the water levels during those first two days.</fn></li> |
| − | <li><b>Miraculous intervention</b> – Ramban, in contrast, is forced to assert that Hashem sent a miraculous wind which decreased the waters substantially in a very short period of time.<fn>Ramban compares this to Yam Suf where it says: "וַיּוֹלֶךְ י"י אֶת הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם".</fn>  | + | <li><b>Miraculous intervention</b> – Ramban, in contrast, is forced to assert that Hashem sent a miraculous wind which decreased the waters substantially in a very short period of time.<fn>Ramban compares this to Yam Suf where it says: "וַיּוֹלֶךְ י"י אֶת הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם".</fn>  </li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>Chronology</b><ul> | <point><b>Chronology</b><ul> | ||
| − | <li> | + | <li><b>Chronological</b> –Those who maintain that the waters maintained their strength throughout the 150 days, read the verses chronologically, with Chapter 7 describing the rising  flood and Chapter 8 detailing the decreasing water at the end of the 150 days.<fn>Ramban might have been motivated to read the verses in this manner due to his general tendency to posit that the Torah is written in chronological order.</fn></li> |
| − | <li>The other commentators, though, assume that verses 8:2-4 (the sending of the wind and closing of the heavenly windows) occurred in the midst of the 150 days that are mentioned in the preceding chapter and that there is an element of achronology in the verses.  Akeidat Yitzchak and Shadal explain that the Torah purposely separated the images of destruction and salvation, having Chapter 7 detail all the ruin before moving into the rebuilding of Chapter 8.</li> | + | <li><b>Achronological</b> – The other commentators, though, assume that verses 8:2-4 (the sending of the wind and closing of the heavenly windows) occurred in the midst of the 150 days that are mentioned in the preceding chapter and that there is an element of achronology in the verses.  Akeidat Yitzchak and Shadal explain that the Torah purposely separated the images of destruction and salvation, having Chapter 7 detail all the ruin before moving into the rebuilding of Chapter 8.</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>"וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם"</b> – According to Ramban and R. Eliezer Ashkenazi's approach the second forty days are from the first of the tenth month from the start of the rain and therefore the 21 days after the forty end around the first of the first month when Noach opens the Ark's cover.  Most of the other commentators who explain that the tenth month is from the beginning of the year say also the the second forty days are from the tenth month.  According to them the dove not coming back is not because "חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ" but they are two separate stages and after the dove did not come back there was another month until "חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם". The Rid explains that the forty and 21 days are after the landing of the ark.  According to him the sending of the raven lasted for ten days that are not mentioned explicitly and therefore the last sending of the dove was on the first of the tenth month when the tops of the mountains appear. This explains why the dove could not land until the last time it was sent.</point> | <point><b>"וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם"</b> – According to Ramban and R. Eliezer Ashkenazi's approach the second forty days are from the first of the tenth month from the start of the rain and therefore the 21 days after the forty end around the first of the first month when Noach opens the Ark's cover.  Most of the other commentators who explain that the tenth month is from the beginning of the year say also the the second forty days are from the tenth month.  According to them the dove not coming back is not because "חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ" but they are two separate stages and after the dove did not come back there was another month until "חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם". The Rid explains that the forty and 21 days are after the landing of the ark.  According to him the sending of the raven lasted for ten days that are not mentioned explicitly and therefore the last sending of the dove was on the first of the tenth month when the tops of the mountains appear. This explains why the dove could not land until the last time it was sent.</point> | ||
Version as of 09:18, 21 June 2015
Fatal 38: Unescaped '<' not allowed in attributes values
57: <mekorot>first approach in <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit8-4-5" data-aht="source">Ramban<multilink data-aht="<a href="MaaseiHashemBereshit26" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Hashem Bereshit 26</a><a href="R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)</a>"></multilink><multilink data-aht=""></multilink></a><a href="RambanBereshit8-4-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 8:4-5</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="MaaseiHashemBereshit26" data-aht="source">R. Eliezer Ashkenazi</a><a href="MaaseiHashemBereshit26" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Hashem Bereshit 26</a><a href="R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)</a></multilink></mekorot>